Desperation
by Sareth-the-lost-one
Summary: Short background story for "Death Wish", the murder of the Pharaoh and the following events until Hamunaptra. Ancksunamun's, Imhotep's and Ramses POV. complete
1. Chapter 1

(Author's note: this is the background for my story "Death Wish". Main characters are property of Universal and Stephen Sommers, no copyright infringement intended.)

**=== Egypt / Thebes / In the Temple of Osiris ===**

They had thought they were safe, SHE had believed it, watching the Pharao and his entourage go out for hunting in the desert this very morning. Meant he would not come back to the city, the palace and her for two or three days and nights! What a relief! At least two days, if she was lucky, even more, of freedom from Seti's possessiveness! A part of her wished again he would die out there, an accident perhaps, like last year to the Vizier... Accidents happened all the time, why not now? But Ancksunamun knew destiny wouldn't be so kind to her! Nothing was ever kind to her in this place, except for one person - the one she was forbidden to see even from a distance for two months now! After one of these creeping servants had talked about how very devout Pharao's mistress obviously was in visiting the temple of Osiris. Damned little toady! Perhaps Ramses had paid him! Seti's eldest son didn't like her – too great was the danger she could give the Pharao another son, another concurrent for the throne!

Nervously she looked down on her so-hated bodypainting. Seti had given the order it should be applied with special diligence while he was away. She had learned how to fake it with some help, but it became more and more difficult. _Why does he not simple chain me on the wall?!_ Did he have any suspicions? If he had, this day and this meeting with Imhotep would be her death sentence… And his as well.... But either way she was as good as dead, if she could not find a solution to her problem soon!

Hasty steps. Ancksunamun held her breath. But no! No danger! It was the High priest himself, and one moment later she followed him to the inner court of the temple and deeper in the sanctuary. Still they did not dare to speak anything or even touch one another. Still there could be Seti's spies watching!

It was only in the crypt of the temple, the most sacred and forbidden place, they finally stopped and embraced…

But today there was not the time to forget the world outside, to plunge into an ocean of love and lust, things had come about. Terrible things! "Imhotep, I have to talk to you! Something… something really, really nasty has happened!" She couldn't speak further, fighting against her tears and fear and the whole distasteful thing she was about to say any moment. She hated herself, but there was no other way! "I'm pregnant, and I'm pretty sure it is NOT Seti's child! He was on the campaign against the Nubians at that time! I'm so afraid anyone of the servants could notice –"

"W..what did you say?" A rhetorical question, she knew. He had perfectly understood every single word, the expression of shock on his face said as much.

Some time passed in awkward silence. "And you… are sure… it's not…" Imhotep tried finally.

"I am sure! And Seti is not such an idiot I could …" She sighed desperate and looked down on the floor. "I know it's your child… and … you must help me to …" She stopped in mid-sentence, because someone was coming.

Before she could muse about who it was, the sleek figure of Sennufer, Imhotep's friend, showed up. "Seti is here, with his guards! He wants to know where Ancksunamun is!"

"It was a trap!" she cried, feeling cold. "He set a trap for me! He or his ambitious sneaker of a son! Ramses always wanted to get rid of me!"

"Be calm, we might still find a way out…" Imhotep said now, intensely trying to concentrate. "Ancksunamun, you will go through the underground passage to the first court and the offering's chamber! You will say that you are there to make a holy sacrifice for the well being of His Majesty! – Sennufer, you will guide her! Hurry!"

"What about you? Remember, you should be on the Westbank visiting the construction of Seti's grave!"

"Yes, yes, I know! I … I go southward through the sanctuary and then … then... this should not be your concern right now! You must leave!"

"But –" Ancksunamun made a last attempt to hold her lover, but Imhotep had already vanished in the darkness of the crypt.

Ancksunamun had barely reached the offering's chamber, when the bangs on the heavy doors grew louder and Seti's very angry voice was to hear. "Open! IMMEDIATELY!"

She was still out of breath and she felt sick. Who had betrayed her? Where was Imhotep? He wouldn't do something stupid, wouldn't he?! The thoughts raced through her mind and she shivered. Sennufer looked back to her, and then left the room to join the other priests, open the doors and greet the Pharao. Ancksunamun tried to steady herself at the statue of Bastet, the goddess of love and life and joy… She whispered a silent prayer.

"What is your business here?" snapped Seti, obviously in bad temper; perhaps his son had already given him some 'ideas'… And before Ancksunamun could answer, he continued: "And WHO has touched you?"

He grabbed her arm and she now saw the smeared bodypaint herself. Curse it! She felt like dying. She searched for words, but found none. Then she spotted Imhotep behind the columns. Her eyes widened. _O no, o no, run! Save yourself! What are you doing in here? Go!_

"I want to know who has dared to TOUCH YOU!" Seti raised his hand ready to strike her.

And then everything happened so fast that she hadn't time to think anymore.

Two, three paces and Imhotep was behind the Pharao, seized the sword of the king from the scabbard. Seti jerked around, surprised as he recognized his opponent and then furious crying for his guards.

Ancksunamun jumped backwards to the offering table and her hands closed around the pommel of one of the ceremonial daggers there. Using her own momentum and Seti's she prodded the blade in his waist. He tried to reach her, as another blow hit him, this time from Imhotep. The Pharao tilted over, gasping and choking. She had always thought she would feel glorious at the moment he finally died – but now she felt only fear. Cold, naked fear clutching her throat! She was nearly paralyzed and trembled. Imhotep struck again. His eyes were full of fury right now. All the pain and desperation of the past two years burned behind them. This man should never again mistreat his beloved!

The sound of the approaching guards brought him to his senses. He regarded Ancksunamun and then the dead king lying in his blood beneath his feet. Ancksunamun grasped his hand. "What have we done?"

The Medjai-guards had nearly reached them; their footsteps banged through the building.

"You must go, Imhotep!" This was Sennufer's agitated voice. "We can't hold them back any longer! You must go NOW!"

The High priest hold Ancksunamun firmly, intended to push her first on the way of rescue, but she broke free. "There is not enough time! You must go! I stay, if they have me, they won't come after you! Otherwise they tear this place apart just to find us; we will never reach the walls in time!"

"NO! I can't leave you!"

"GO!" With this she lifted the ceremonial dagger from the dead body and turned towards the heavily armed intruders. One last glance at Imhotep... She wanted to die with the memory of his face.

"Ancksunamun, I –"

"Only you can resurrect me!" She turned away, faced the Medjai and smiled. _No, Ramses, you'll never enjoy torturing me to death... _She pointed the dagger at her chest and let herself fall. _Imhotep... I will always love you..._


	2. Chapter 2

**=== 13th century B.C. / Egypt / Thebes ===**

Not only the 'Most Holy City', the whole country was in disturbance. Pharaoh Seti had been murdered, by one of his concubines said the rumor. The miserable woman had killed herself after this detestable deed, was whispered further. Ramses, the eldest son of the assassinated king and already his co-regent for some years, had seized power immediately. But a lot of people thought to use the opportunity to break free from the tyranny his father had installed, for instance the family of the unfortunate concubine...

But as soon as his royal physicians had examined the body of the dead and recognized, that this woman could not have done the murderous deed alone, Ramses had set out his soldiers and his Medjai-guards to find the co-conspirators. He had certain suspicions, of course. Not in vain he had paid so many spies! And on top of the list of people Ramses held for suspects, ranked the High priest of Osiris, in whose temple Seti WAS murdered - how convenient! He didn't show up in the burial grounds at the West bank where he was supposed to be that day. Where had he been, in the name of the gods? And why had he disappeared since then? Simply too many coincidences!

After all, what had this woman to do in the temple in the first place?! Praying? Ramses smirked. Ancksunamun's piety was well known in Thebes. But he didn't trust a pious concubine! She was out there for something else, surely she was! He knew that and therefore had given his father the advice to ask for her in the temple._ And so I have sent him into his death... the gods may forgive me! But I will capture the responsible, I make a holy pledge, and if he is not dead by then, he will die from my hand!_

The new king of Egypt strode through the hall of his palace, past some bowing servants and decided to question the remaining priests of the Osiris temple with a little more insistence...

...

The night was black. It seemed that even the stars refused to shine in their full brightness after the death of the Pharaoh, the son of Amun-Re himself!

The man cowering in the cabin of a papyrus boat near the temple walls and watching the sky, believed to know exactly why a black veil covered the stars: how COULD they still shine, actually, after the brightest star was dead? Not Seti, no! Ancksunamun... Imhotep covered his face with his hands. He couldn't cry anymore, this was practically all he had done the last day while he was hiding here.

The brightest star, HIS only star, the only reason to live and breathe, was gone. The scene how she died was burned in his mind, even if he saw it happen only through the curtains. She had died, she had killed herself - and moreover, for him! This was too much to endure, he thought again and again. HE should have died instead to save HER! And the child she was carrying!

"_Only you can resurrect me!"_

Her last words were in his mind as was the moment of her death. Resurrect her – could he do this? As a priest of Osiris it was his task to secure the path of the souls through the dangers of the underworld and back in the preserved bodies for the afterlife. Not to recall a soul in a body again so it may live within the realm of the mortals as before! No one had ever tried this, because it meant questioning the decisions of the gods in doing so. No one, not even a priest with the highest ordinations like he was… It would need all the grace of Osiris and the other gods, all their favors! However, was he still in possession of only one small bit of divine grace after what he had done? Rather not… Something like laughter escaped him and he was frightened at the sound. No! How could he DARE to believe still to be in the grace of the gods after killing the Pharaoh?

_But I have to try it! I promised I would care for her, help her always! Did my promise become invalid because she died?_

Hearing a faint sound, Imhotep swirled around to face the intruder. But he discerned his friend Sennufer. "What are you doing here? If someone was following you – "

"Hear me, Imhotep! The Medjai are everywhere and Ramses brought some of your assistants for questioning to the palace. You must go! Southwards to Nubia! We can't protect you any longer!"

"I can't go! I made a promise to Ancksunamun and I'm bound to keep it! Or I could never shut my eyes and sleep again!"

Knowing what he meant Sennufer shook his head. "But you SHOULD find some rest and eat something, or your mind will depart from your spirit and you'll become insane! What you plan is not possible! You must leave Thebes and go to Nubia! Ancksunamun's family will help you."

"I will bring their daughter back…"

"We can arrange many things… Even an insurrection with you at its top! Ramses may not –"

"Don't say anything more! I won't go anywhere! And I certainly have no interest in any power struggling!" Imhotep shouted. "I will resurrect Ancksunamun! I WILL do it!"

His friend sighed and felt helpless. "The gods have taken such power away from us pitiful humans," he said finally. "No mortal can resurrect the dead and make them walk among the living again! This magic is forbidden. Therefore the gods have confined the Book of the Dead to a secret place no one knows about!"

"I know it. It's in Hamunaptra."

Sennufer looked at him with astonishment and fear. He wanted to say anything, but the words failed him.

"It's in Hamunaptra, in the City of the Dead," Imhotep repeated. "In a chest under the statue of Anubis. I will retrieve it from there. Where have they brought Ancksunamun?"

"In the temple of the servants of Ptah in the preparation chamber. As far as I know they have begun with the embalmment. They have taken her heart from the body as punishment for her crime."

"To let her only find entrance in the afterlife as a lifeless hull!" Imhotep finished the sentence. The heart was the one essential organ which had to be left in the body, if the ceremonies were done correctly. "Who gave the order for that?"

"Ramses."

"Who else… he hated her when she was alive and now even more! But I won't let him finish this! I… I will… steal the body and the canopic jars and bring her to Hamunaptra!"

Sennufer grabbed him at his shoulders; he was much smaller than Imhotep, but nonetheless he was resolved to hold him back. This could not end well! Imhotep was far to exasperated. "This is crazy! You can't go to Hamunaptra and take the Book! The Medjai will catch you and put you to death! And it will be a horrible one, be assured! Ramses is furious and he made a pledge himself to kill the responsible for his father's murder! Imhotep, listen to me! Listen!"

"No!" He pushed his friend back and went out of the boat's cabin. "I go. And if they catch me then I die. So be it! I have no desire to live without Ancksunamun. A life without her is worse than death…" His voice trailed off as he jumped down to the shore.

"Wait!" Sennufer leaped down behind him.

"Go back to the temple! The way I chose I have to go on my own."

"Back to be questioned by Ramses' henchmen? What do you think of me? And besides, you'll need some assistants for the rites. I think, others will come, too. And if it's only to humiliate the pride of Ramses a little, who thinks he can control everything and crush everything not pleasing him like dust!"

"You risk the wrath of the gods yourself, Sennufer!"

For some time the two priests of Osiris stood there in silence.

**=== Two days later ===**

Horses pulling a carriage raced through the nocturnal desert, lashed on again and again. However, it was not fast enough…

"The Medjai are only a half-day journey behind us!" called Sennufer, trying to drive his own exhausted horse somewhat more to reach the rider in front of the little group.

"We'll make it," answered Imhotep, barely turning to his friend. He looked pale and so tired that Sennufer thought only his will held him still upright. "We'll be there before daybreak."

"But we… cannot escape then, the animals are too exhausted; we've already lost two horses. We will sit in the trap at Hamunaptra."

"The Medjai won't attack us IN there; it is holy ground, after all. They will wait outside. We will be able to escape through the underground passages into the mountains!"

….

Pharaoh Ramses re-applied his armor and looked around over the Medjai, just mounting their horses and chariots again after the short break in the oasis. It was good he had decided the break, he thought now, seeing the renewed strength of men and animals. After all, his enemy couldn't slip through his fingers! An idiot he was, after all, High priest or not! Had he gone southwards to Nubia or northwards to the Syrians, it would have been far more difficult to find him. Some of his minions obviously had made this proposition to him, the Pharaoh knew it. But no, Imhotep went to Hamunaptra, because of a miserable little concubine, which a man could buy a dozen on the slave markets every day! Ramses indulged himself to a smile and caressed absently the pectoral he wore over his armor. It was the holy one, with the great shining scarab symbol in its center; the symbol of the sun-god Re, the symbol of eternal life. And in the name of the god he would take revenge…

"Ahead!" he ordered and took his place in his chariot.

….

It was the last hour of the night. The latest stars slowly began to fade in the new morning. But underground inside the holy temple at Hamunaptra it was still dark. Only torches and oil lamps provided light. Imhotep kneeled on the floor, cleaned and once again in his solemn robes of his priesthood. For a moment, his hands rested on the closed Book of the Dead. The light glinted in the obsidian cover, on which the holy signs of life and death and eternity were engraved. He shivered slightly, sensing the deep magic buried in this book. He was about to trespass the constraints set by the gods… He would do the unheard, the outrageous… _Forgive me, Osiris; forgive me, all your mighty gods of Egypt! I do not ask for power for myself, I do not ask for wealth … it is not my intention to defy you … I made a promise, and Ancksunamun deserves to live! You may punish me … but let her live!_

He stood up with the book in his hands and turned around to his waiting assistants. Sennufer bowed his head and they began to recite the holy texts, while the procession went down to the altar. There lay Ancksunamun's lifeless body, still so beautiful as if she was only sleeping. Soon, Imhotep hoped with all his heart, she would open her eyes again.

…

The sun touched the golden tips of the obelisks at the entrance of the temple. Ramses and his Medjai dismounted. The warrior-guards stayed behind in reference of the holy place, but the Pharaoh strode forward and gestured to the temple. He could hear the chanting from the inside. "Bring me the traitor! He already has disgraced and desecrated this place; we can't infuriate the gods further by bringing him to his justice! GO!"

----(well, we know the rest of the events from the film, will not repeat it here)----


	3. Chapter 3

**=== 13. century B.C. / Hamunaptra / Underground ===**

A small figure cowered behind one of the huge pillars in the shadow, trembling and desperately trying not to chatter his teeth or make any other move which could betray him. Mentechepre felt sick and angry for his helplessness. His eyes burned but he couldn't turn them away, fearing if he allowed himself to close them only for an instant he would die. He had been back in the sanctuary near the shrine as the Medjai had burst in and arrested Imhotep and the other priests, among them his father Sennufer. A short pleading glance of his father had told him to stay back, whatever may happen! The boy had obeyed … and watched all the following awful rituals. He saw his friends tortured to death, his father and at last his revered teacher Imhotep.

The air didn't smell anymore of embalming tissues, oils and incense in preparation for a good afterlife, it smelt of pain, blood, tears and death.

Right across from Mentechepres hiding place still stood two of these Medjai. The boy hated them with all his heart and soul. The two men were right next to the sarcophagus in which they had enclosed Imhotep shortly ago. Not to let him begin his journey to the afterlife, but to further torture. Mentechepre was schooled enough to know what the Hom-Dai was and what it would do. He saw one of the Medjai placing the metal key on the lid of the sarcophagus and sealing it. His comrade said something, nodded and headed for the staircase upwards. The other warrior folded the key to a tiny little box and tossed it in the air like a toy.

This was the moment, when Mentechepre couldn't hold out anymore. He was fourteen years old, but anger and grief gave him the strength of a man, as he lunged forward, a cry of fury on his lips. He crushed the Medjai against the sarcophagus, and before the warrior could react, the boy had stabbed him with his own sword. Then he lifted the little key-box from the floor and turned to the sarcophagus. No, now he couldn't do anything! The Medjai and the Pharao were still outside, and some of them had taken the 'Book of the Dead'.

"I will come back. I promise", Mentechepre said and placed his hand on the cover stone on which no insignia and no protective spell was engraved. Then the boy vanished in the darkness of the underground corridors towards the secret exits to the mountains.

...

**=== Same time / Hamunaptra / Outside the Temple of Osiris ===**

Ramses had left the underground vault of the 'City of the Dead'. The strange dizziness which had engulfed him while being there slowly vanished. He frowned and sat down on one of the stone benches in front of the temple. What had he done down there? His revenge for the assassination of his father, yes… It had been his intent to catch the responsible, High priest Imhotep, and to bring him to justice.

Justice…

Ramses stretched his hand out to the sandy floor, took a hand full of the grains and watched as the wind blew them away. Had he done justice? Musing about this, he felt as if a faint ghostly whisper and laughter reached his ears and he jumped up. Who was mocking him?

…_.You ha__ve done well… so well…._

The hand of the young Pharaoh fumbled over his scarab pectoral. He remembered. _I have given him the Hom-Dai! The Hom-Dai! _The horror of this seized his mind and the ghostly laughter was to hear once again. It was not a happy laughter, it was something evil. Dark.

Justice?

No, he had not served justice. He had served someone else! Someone, something far more dangerous, more evil than this fool of a priest or this whore Ancksunamun ever could have been!

The Pharaoh gestured over to his chief Medjai. "Come! I have to speak to you!"

The man hurried at the side of his sovereign. "Speak, my Lord!"

"This whole place, this city is forbidden territory from now on! It is cursed altogether with …" He couldn't speak the name anymore. "With the One, who shall never be named again!"

"Yes, my Lord!" The Medjai bowed his head acknowledging the will of his master.

"No one will ever again set foot in this temple or in this city! It has to be destroyed, every record from it, every trace everywhere", Ramses continued. "It shall be buried under the desert for all generations!" _Still, it wouldn't be enough! _"You and your most trusted friends will guard this place for all time! With your life! You will protect its secrets by any means! This is my order! And for I am the ruler of Egypt and son of Amun-Ra, you will fulfill it!"

"Yes, my Lord!"

Ramses grabbed the warrior at his shoulders. "Do you understand? No one must come back here, never! All what is buried beneath must lay buried, for all times!"

The Medjai had never heard such a fear in the voice of the young Pharaoh. He seemed so much older now, changed. What had happened down there in the preparation chamber while he stood guard at the outside? His comrades would tell him soon… However, he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it!

"Swear the holy oath", Ramses demanded, "In the name of all the gods!"

The chief Medjai raised his arms and repeated the words spoken by the Pharaoh. "…and if I fail, I shall be damned to the darkness of the underworld myself and never find entrance to the afterlife! My body shall be prey for the vultures and my soul bound to torment," he finally finished.

Ramses seemed to relax a little. After the other men were back again he would burn and destroy Hamunaptra. Would it be enough, he wondered again.

But somewhere outside the world of the mortals some dark shadowy entities began to rejoice. They had put the iron in the forge ... now they would wait ... until the time had come for THEIR revenge on the gods.

**=== 60 years later / Thebes / Palace of Pharaoh Ramses ===**

Ramses slowly went over to the balcony with the view over the river. With the years passing it cost him more effort to walk straight, but still he could manage it without help from a servant. This was a grace of the gods. Nonetheless, he felt old and weary. He had lived out some of his children and his wife, had survived battles and intrigues and assassination attempts. He had brought the land peace and prosperity. He had declared his father Seti god amongst the other gods of Egypt, had given him the most sumptuous grave ever accounted in history. He had ordered the building of temples all over the land, but… the memory of the long gone day in Hamunaptra still haunted him. In some nights he believed to hear the last painful cry of the cursed High priest again, along with the strange whispering voices, laughing at him… And the key to Imhotep's sarcophagus had never been found again.

*** THIS IS THE END .... AND THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER STORY ***

(the conclusion and what happens to the mission of Mentechepre is to be found in "Death Wish")


End file.
